Himalayan Cities: Settlement Patterns, Public Places and Architecture

Himalayan Cities: Settlement Patterns, Public Places, and Architecture marks the culmination of extensive documentation and research on the cities and architecture of the Himalayas. It explores the concept of settlements in various regions of the Himalayan region, spanning national boundaries from Kashmir to Nepal and the northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent, and their relationship with the surrounding landscape. By comparing these, the book makes the case for the peculiarities of the Himalayan city. It succeeds in deducing key principles and general models typical of the settlement patterns, the nature of public places, and the architecture shaped by this unique mountainous environment. The relationship between natural systems and human ingenuity as projected through its built traditions forms the underlying theme of the book. Lavishly illustrated with stunning photographs and detailed hand drawings by the author and his students, Himalayan Cities not only engages academics but also the general reader, helping to provoke a discourse on this intriguing landscape and its architectural nuances.